Island



W. AMOS. GAR SWITCH.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar, 17, 1891.

JIM

J'W'i'i I1 i ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I WILLIAM AMOS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

CAR-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,570, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed April 23, 1890 T0 ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM AMOS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of the operating-levers of the switch, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the roadbed and of the forward platform of the car, and shows the mechanism of a double switch, the cover of the sunken box for holding the switch-operating levers being removed. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of a portion of the forward end of the car and avertical section of the sunken box for holding the switchoperating levers. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the road-bed, showing the mechanism of a single switch, the cover of the sunken box which holds the switch-operating levers being removed.

In the accompanying drawings .Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the forward end of the car; B B, thestraight track; 0 C, the track turning to the right hand and D D the track turning to the left. The pivoted switchtongues E E are attached to a bed-plate E, which is preferably cast integral with the sunken box G, which protects the switch-operating levers. The left-hand switch-tongue E is provided with a stud a, which extends downward through a suitable opening in the plate F, and to the lower end of the stud a is pivoted the bar I), to the opposite end of which is pivoted the horizontal bell-crank lever c, and to its middle portion is pivoted the reversely-set horizontal bell-crank lever d, the said bell-crank levers being also pivoted to the bridge 6 at the pivot-studs f, and from the short arm 9 of the horizontal bell-crank lever a connection is made to the short arm h of the vertically-arranged bell-crank levert' by means of the connecting-rod j, the outer end of the bell-crank lever 71 being provided with the engaging-head k, which projects upward through a suitable opening Z in the cover H of the box G; and from the short arm g of the horizontal bell-crank lever 11 connection is made to the short arm h of the Serial No, 349,162. (No model.)

vertically-arranged bell-crank lever t" by means of the connecting-rod j, the outer end of the bell-crank lever 2" being provided with the engaging-head 7a, which projects upward through a suitable opening in the cover H, so that when the slightly-projecting head is pressed down the switch-tongue E will be moved outward to the position shownin Fig. l, and when the head It is pressed down the switch-tongue E will be thrown inward, so as to guide the forward wheels of the car A onto the left-hand track D D,the downwaii-d movement of one of the said heads causing a corresponding upward movement of the other. The right-hand switch-tongue E is also provided with a stud a, which extends downward through a suitable opening in the plate F, and to the lower end of the stud a is pivoted the bar b, to the opposite end of which is pivoted the horizontal bell-crank lever m and to the middle portion. is pivoted the reverselyset horizontal bell-crank lever n, the said bellcrank levers being also pivoted to the bridge 6 at the pivot-studs fiand from the short arm 0 of the horizontal bell-crank lever on connection is made to the short arm 13 of the vertically-arranged bell-crank lever (1 by means of the connectingrod r, the outer end of the bell-crank lever q being provided with the engaging-head s, which also projects upward through a suitable opening in the cover H, and from the short arm 0 of the horizontal bell-crank lever a connection is made to the short arm 19' of the vertically-arranged bellcrank lever g by means of the connectingrod 1', the outer end of the bell-crank lever (1' being provided with the engaging-head s, which also projects upward through a suitable opening in the cover H, so that when the slightly-proj ecting head sis pressed down the switch-tongue E will be moved outward to the position shown in Fig. 1, and when the head .9 is released and the head 3' is pressed down the switch-tongue will be thrown inward, so as to guide the forward wheels of the car A onto the right-hand track 0 O, the downward movement of one of the said heads causing a corresponding upward movement of the other.

To suitable brackets I, at the under side of the platform of the car A, are pivoted the levers J K, and L, which at their forward ends are pivoted to the rods t, having at their upper ends the pedal-plates J, K, and L, respectively, and between each of the said pedalplates and the floor of the platform M is placed a spiral spring n, which serves to hold the lever in an elevated position. At a forward and downwardly inclined position upon the lovers J, K, and L are placed the rollers '7, t" 25 respectively, which are each adapted to engage with two of the upwardly-projecting heads 75 7t" 38, so that when thedriver places his foot on the left-hand pedal J and presses downward upon the same against the upward action of the spring u, the roller r being adapted to press upon the shoes 70' and s, will serve to throw the switch-tongue E inward and the switch-tongue E outward, so that the car will pass safely onto the track D D, and when the driver places his foot upon the right-hand pedal L the roller 0 will press upon the shoes 3 7t, and thus move the switchtongue E inward and the switch-tongue E outward, thus causing the car to pass safely onto the track C C, and when the driver presses with his foot upon the middle pedal K, then the roller 1" will engage with the shoes .9 7r, which will cause the tongues E and E to be moved in opposite directions to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the car will be safely directed along, the main track 13 l The bell-crank levers i 1" and (1 (1 are pivoted to the bottom of the box G, as shown in Fig. 2, and a stop 10 is provided to prevent excessive downward movement of the engaging-heads by contact with the wheels of passin g vehicles.

A single switch operating to throw the car from the main line to a single branch track is shown in Fig. 8, in which the connection between the switch-tongue E and the engaging-heads s s is made, as above described, for turning the car to the right-hand track C C, the heads 5 and 3 being operated by means of separate pedal-levers, as before.

The pedal-levers J, K, and L are so pivoted to the car thatthe engaging-point of the roller will be below and at about forty-five degrees in advance of a Vertical line passing through the pivot of the lever, in order that the shock of engagement with the switch operating heads will be sustained by the lever without injurious upward reaction against the foot of the driver.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the pivoted switchtongues at opposite sides of the main track, the pivoted bars, the opposite bell-crank levers pivoted to the said bars, the verticallyarranged bell-crank levers provided with an engaging-head,and theconnecting-rods which serve to connect the vertically-arranged bellcrank levers with the horizontal bell-crank levers, the car provided with the pedal-levcrs having elongated rollers or tappets to engage with the two adjacent projecting heads, substantially as described.

2. 'lhecombination,with the pivoted switchtongue at one side of the main track, of the pivoted bar,tl1e oppositely-directed bell-crank levers pivoted to the pivoted bar, the vertically-arranged bell-crank levers provided with an engaginghead, the connecting-rods which serve to connect the verticallyarranged bell-crank levers with the horizontallyarranged bell-crank levers, and the car provided with pedal-levers, which are pivoted to the car and provided with an engaging pointor roller located at a forward and downward angle from a vertical line passing through the pivoting-point, substantially as described.

The combination of the pivoted switchtongue at one side of the main track, the engagingheads oppositely connected with the pivoted switch-tongue, and the car provided with the pedal-levers, which are pivoted to the car and provided with an engaging point or roller located at a forward and downward angle from a vertical line passing through the pivoting-point, substantially as described.

WILLIAM AMOS. i Ln esses SOCRATES SCHOLFIELD, IIARMON S. BABCOCK. 

